On a recent visit to Stockholm, Sweden,
I took a daylong bus trip for tourists. It featured some of the
most important historical and cultural sites the nation had to
offer. It also made me think about what may be lacking in America,
particularly among African-Americans.

My tour guide, who was extraordinarily
knowledgeable, aided me in coming to this important realization.
She took such joy and pride in describing her nation's culture
and history that it made me realize that this is a missing ingredient
in the African-American experience. African-Americans have worked
to build the United States in almost every capacity imaginable.
Think about it. We have fought in our nation's wars, we have died
here and abroad defending our nation and we have represented our
nation abroad. But do we feel the same sense of joy and pride
about the United States that a European-American feels? Shouldn't
we?

Of course, we should! But, for a variety
of reasons, many of us do not love this land, ourselves, and others
living in it the way we should. There are deep psychological causes
built into the explanation of why we are not always exuberant
about being American. There is, of course, the history of slavery.
We also cannot forget the marauding dogs and the water hoses of
the Civil Rights Era or reverse-affirmative action. There are
white supremacist hate groups as well as allegations of continued
discrimination in the worlds of education, employment and finances.
Clearly, these historical phenomena affect the way we view ourselves
and how we perceive our place in the nation.

This prompts an oft-cited realization.
It is paramount that we love ourselves before we can begin to
entertain the idea of loving our fellow citizens and the nation
as a whole. The "Black is Beautiful" phase used in the
Civil Rights Movement forced us to look at ourselves and begin
to love and respect each other even though we had brown skin and
kinky hair - traits we had been taught to hate.

But this phase did not last long enough
to facilitate our going beyond just surface considerations in
our behavior modification. We did not study our history long and
well enough to come to love and respect our magnificent contributions
to the formation of America.

These contributions, and the contributions
that we continue to make, should force us to realize that we have
played an extraordinary role in making the United States what
it is today. Fully understood, this realization will give us an
internal and external sense of value and worth.

The true value and worth of ones deeds,
however, are only perceived when they are recognized and praised
by others. Yes, Asian, European, Hispanic, and Native American
groups within our nation must acknowledge the contributions of
African-Americans. And, of course, we must acknowledge theirs.
It is through this type of mutual recognition and respect that
unity of purpose and love can be engendered, which can transform
how we perceive ourselves and others within this melting pot and
produce a sense of joy and pride in being American.

It is only when the entire nation has
a sense of joy and pride in being American that we will all be
willing do what is right by ourselves and each other. To date,
these have been the missing ingredients. We must add them to the
mix if we are to survive as a nation. Right now is as good a starting
point as any for filling in these missing ingredients.

###

(B.B. Robinson, Ph.D. is a member of the
National Advisory Council of the African-American leadership network
Project 21 and an economist. He can be reached at [email protected].)

Note: New Visions Commentaries
reflect the views of their author, and not necessarily those of
Project 21.